Automobile-spring.



L. s. GHADWIOK AUTOMOBILE SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

LEE S. OHADWIGK, OF POTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE-SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed July 16, 1908. Serial No. 443,869.

in the center directly under the cl'p which connects the sprmg with the axle. In case of breakage and with the car goingat high s eed, the entire steering axle is able to s 'de back under the car and cause a smashu It is the object of my invention to provi .e means for holding the axle in position in case the forward spring breaks as above mentioned, and for this purpose I provide a radius bar or rod extending from the frame of the machine to the clip which secures the spring to the axle, and in the preferred form of my invention I utilize the top leaf of the forward spring to act as this radius bar.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 represents a side view of a part of thelframe of an automobile with a spring in lace and with my improvement associated t erewith; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the spring with its radius bar.

In this drawing, 1 indicates the side bar of the frame, 2 the axle, 3 the clip for securing the. spring to the axle. Thiss ring 4 is of substantially ordinary form wit the exception hereinafter noted. It is hung at its rear end in the usual manner from the frame by a free link 5 and its front end' is pivotally attached to the down turned tapered end of the side bar of the frame at 6.

It will be noted that the top leaf 7 of the spring is pivotally connected at its rear end 8 to an ear or ears on the clip 3. It is arranged with a free'space between itself and! the next lower leaf of the spring for the greater part of its extent, and rom the point 9 to the end of the spring it is in contact with the main body of the s ring, but this leaf and the main body of t e s ring can have relative sliding movement, t e one on of which the following to the running of the other. They are connected together for this purpose by means of a clip 10 riveted or otherwise secured to the main part of the spring and having a rod or bar 11 extending over the upper leaf of the spring in such manner as to permit'a longitudinal sliding movement of the main or under part of the spring in relation to the top leaf. It will now be seen that the top leaf of the sprin acts as a radius or tie bar which will hold the axle in position and prevent it from sliding-to the rear in case the spring breaks, and as there is one of these radius or tie bars at each side of the car the axle will be held at all times against deflection from its truetransverse posltion.

While I ave described the radius bar as bein a part of the spring, it will be understoo that it has little or no function to perform other than to act as a tie rod for proper y l cating relation in respect to the forward end of the frame. This top leaf or tie bar is largely relieved of the strain resulting from the weight of the car and this is particularly true of its rear portion, which is free to pivot as the axle and middle portion of the spring recedes from and approaches the frame under the varying weig ts and strains incident the car over uneven roads.

- It will be noted that the tie bar is made slightly heavier than the leaves of the main portion of the s ring It can be made extremely heavy i desired and have no spring action whatever, the spring efiect being derived entirely from the lower member which is a spring complete in itself. The front end of thls heavy unyielding tie rod or up er member will furnish a bearing for the enfof the lower spring member substantially in the manner illustrated while the rear part would be elevated in respect to the lower member or ortion of the spring as above described.

ith my improvement it will be noted a tie or radius bar is associated with the spring member in such a way as to be compact, and occupy no more space than substantially that occupied by the-ordinary spring. I do not, however, limit myself, except as hereinafter particularly set forth in the claims, 'to the details of construction, arrangement or relation of the parts shown and described.

Instead of having the spring arranged as the axle and maintaining this.

osition, the

shown, it may be reversed in ront instead free being arranged at the of at the rear.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the frame, axle and supporting spring, a radius bar pivotally connected to the frame and axle and arranged over and in contact with the spring, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the frame, axle and spring, a radius bar arranged in the same vertical plane with and extending over the spring, one end of said bar being pivotally connected to the frame and the other end pivotally' connected to the clip which secures the spring to the axle, substantially as described.

3. In combination the frame axle and supporting spring, a radius bar extending over the spring, ivotally connected to the axle and to the rame, said radius bar at one end affording a bearing for the end of the spring, substantially as described. 1

4. In combination with the frame, axle and supporting spring, a radius bar pivotally connected to the axle and to the frame and affording a sliding bearing at one end for the s ring and means for connecting the end of the radius bar with the end of the spring but to allow relative sliding movement, substam tially as described.

5. In combination and supporting spring, connected to the axle with the frame, axle a radius bar pivotally andto the frame and affording a sliding bearing at one end for'the spring and means for connecting the end of t e radius bar with the end of the spring but ends with the frame and to allow relative sliding movement,. said means consisting of the clip embracing the spring and radius bar and attached to one of said arts, substantially as described.

6. n combination with the frame, axle and su porting spring, a radius bar overlying tfi e spring and bearing thereon at one end slidably, the other end of said radius bar being elevated in respect to the spring, said radius bar being pivotally connected at its axle respectively, substantially as described.

7. In combination, and sulpp'ortingspring, a radius bar overlying t e spring and bearing thereon at one end slidably, the other end of said radius bar being elevated in respect to the spring, said radius bar being pivotally connected at its ends with the frame and axle respectively, and constituting an up er leaf of said spring, substantially as descn ed.

8. In combination. with the frame, axle and supporting spring, the link connection between the rear end of the s ring and the frame, a radius bar overlying t re s ring and wearing thereon at its front end sli ably, the rear end of said radius bar being pivotally connected to the axle clip and being ivotall connected at its front end to the rame, su stantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix in presence of two witnesses.

' LEE S. CHADWICK.

my-signature Witnesses:

JOHN T. NICHOLS, JESSE R. EVANS.

with the frame, axle 

